Burrell passes budget with 2.9% real estate tax increase

The property tax in the Burrell School District will be increasing by 2.9% for next school year.

The Burrell School Board recently passed its $34.7 million budget 7-0 that includes the real estate tax hike.

The owner of a home with an average assessed value of $22,900 will see a tax increase of $68; under the Homestead Act exclusion, the same owner will pay a $21 tax increase, according to Jennifer Callahan, the district’s business administrator.

Compared to the current budget of $32.7 million, the new budget is 6% higher.

The new budget will raise millage from 104 mills to 107 mills.

Callahan and the board were able to shave off more than $233,000 in expenses from an earlier version of the budget.

One reason taxes are rising is that some large businesses, such as Arconic, received tax reductions on real estate appeals.

Real estate tax appeals from businesses decreased the district’s real estate tax revenue by about $615,000 — or about 4 mills of tax, Callahan said.

Kaczor pointed out that there hasn’t been growth in tax revenue in the district.

“To improve the budget, you have to have growth, whether businesses are coming in or more houses are coming in,” he said.